【Sydney Life】Manly Beach & North Head, NSW

January 1, 2010

Manly Beach is one of Sydney’s internationally renowned beaches. I like taking my friends from overseas here because the ferry-ride from Circular Quay to the Manly Wharf is itself an experience not to be missed.

Things to tick off your list while in Manly:

Fish’n’chips by the beach.

Bike-riding.

Manly markets (Sat & Sun 10am-5pm).

Go up to the North Head.

Manly Wharf

The Manly Wharf is a short distance away from the main beach. There’s a small cluster of restaurants at and around the Wharf, including one of the best pizzas in Sydney, Hugo Pizza; Bavarian Bier Cafe for the beer lovers; and Max Brenner chocolate bar.

The ferry-ride from Circular Quay to Manly is a sweet 21-minute journey. It’s the most economical and efficient way to see the Sydney Harbour with the magnificent backdrop of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

If you don’t have an opal card, you will need to purchase a “MyFerry2” ticket for $7.40 single journey; or $14.80 return (yep, there’s no discount for buying the return ticket). For more ticketing information, check the NSW Transport website.

Manly – The Beach

Let’s hit the beach, baby! I’ve taken many photos of the Manly Beach over the years on my different visits, each of the visits shows a different side of Manly.

Fun times!

However, on a more serious note, please take extra care when playing with sand on the beach. I never realised the danger of sand collapse until recently when I saw this tragic news on CNN (link). Please don’t dig big holes on the beach; and make sure no one stands in a hole for the fear of accidental sand burial – the danger is very real, so beware!

Manly – The Corso

You are bound to end up wandering around on The Corso, the main pedestrian street in Manly, as it is lined with popular surf shops, fish’n’chips shops, street entertainments; and it leads to the Manly markets on Belgrave Street.

The very thoughtful water fountain, available for the beachgoers to clean their feet.

Did someone say fish’n’chips? We always get our fish’n’chips from Ocean Foods. It’s not the best or cheapest fish’n’chips in Sydney, but it’s decent take-away food. After all, having a box of fish’n’chips at an Aussie beach is a rite of passage – no Aussie beach experience would be complete without some greasy good old fish’n’chips, right.

We did the Manly Corso to North Head trail the first time we went bike riding in Manly. For the second time, we decided to just ride alone the Manly Lagoons and nearby beach, exploring the part of Manly that we don’t usually go to.

We hired our bikes from the Manly Bike Tours near the Wharf. Helmets are included. However, bring your own water and backpack – they charge a fee for the lockers at the shop for your handbags.

“Watch out, Penguins About“? Yes! There is a small little penguin colony at Manly. Unfortunately, these little penguins are now listed as an endangered population, so don’t keep your hopes up.

The North Head

The bike paths from the Manly Wharf to the North Head were quite challenging for me. Bikers need to share the road with other road users as a big part of the journey are not designated bicycle paths; and there’s a lot of hill climbing! Finally, we’re here – the North Head scenic drive starts right from the stone archway.

Welcome to North Head. After the demanding uphill bike ride, I decided to drive up here next time instead…

But boy, the view was magnificent.

Overlooking the Sydney CBD and the South Head (which is also a fantastic vantage place, near Watsons Bay).

Looking down at the Harbour from the cliff.

Looking at the waves breaking on the rocks.

Sydney is truly blessed with a beautiful Harbour that can be appreciated from all angles.

50 shades of blue.

How I love to spend a sunny afternoon like this out and about with my favourite people:)

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